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Spine


 

Your spine is the main junction for all of your nerves as well as being your body’s backbone. If you’re experiencing painful spine problems, the team at Restorative Physical Medicine in Livonia and Novi, Michigan, can help. The experienced pain medicine specialists provide exceptional treatments for conditions of the spine. Call Restorative Physical Medicine today or schedule an appointment using the online booking form.

What is the spine?

Your spine is a column of connected bones called vertebrae that have spongy discs between them. Small joints called facet joints link the vertebrae together, and tendons, ligaments, and muscles support your spine.

Inside your spine is the spinal canal, a channel that is protected by the vertebrae. The spinal cord runs through the spinal canal and serves as the branching off point for nerves throughout your body.

The spine has three sections:

  • Neck (cervical spine)
  • Upper back (thoracic spine)
  • Lower back (lumbar spine)

The cervical and lumbar parts of your spine are very flexible, enabling you to twist, turn, and bend. The thoracic region, which is behind your chest, is less flexible. 

Most spine problems affect the cervical or thoracic spine, although the entire spine can be affected by injury or tissue degeneration.

What conditions can affect the spine?

Numerous conditions can affect your spine. Muscle and tendon strains and ligament sprains in the tissues supporting your spine are a common problem. Other spine conditions include:

  • Bulging or herniated discs
  • Osteoarthritis
  • Spinal stenosis
  • Scoliosis
  • Spondylolysis
  • Spondylolisthesis

Compression fractures in the vertebrae are a frequent complication when you have osteoporosis, which weakens the bones. Nerve compression is another common spine problem, causing cervical radiculopathy (trapped nerves in the neck) and sciatica.

It’s possible to have a spine condition and not be in pain, but disorders of the spine typically cause back pain, which is one of the most widespread and disabling conditions across the United States.

What are the treatments for spine conditions?

Most spine problems improve with conservative physical medicine treatments. These typically include physical therapy, manual manipulation, massage, and noninvasive therapies like transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS). You might also need medications like painkillers and anti-inflammatories.

At Restorative Physical Medicine, the experts specialize in delivering treatments for spine problems that aren’t responding to frontline physical medicine therapies. Treatments include:

  • Facet nerve blocks
  • Epidural injections 
  • Rhizotomy
  • Endoscopic discectomy
  • Minimally invasive lumbar decompression (MILD)
  • Intracept® nerve ablation procedure
  • Kyphoplasty
  • Spinous spacers

Regenerative medicine treatments like PRP (platelet-rich plasma) therapy and stem cell therapy could also be helpful in promoting the healing of damaged tissues in your spine.

If these approaches still don’t resolve your pain, you might benefit from having an implantable device like a spinal cord stimulator. In some cases, your doctor might need to refer you for spine surgery if less invasive treatments aren’t producing results.

To find the cause of your back pain and heal your spine, call Restorative Physical Medicine today or book an appointment online.

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